Deep within the mesmerizing rolling fields, resided a young shepherd. His life was mostly pure, and unsophisticated. His only responsibility was to care for his herd of sheep.
Their soft bleating and the whispering of the wind through the single tree on the peak were his only associates. Day upon day, looking out for his wards inculcated in him a sense of calm satisfaction.
Yet, there were at times moments of solitude, when the shepherd boy would long for fellowship. In one such instance out of sheer tedium, the shepherd boy devised a mischievous plan.
Narratives of predators hunting on sheep had been around for a while in the village. So, the boy opted to exploit this fear and played a joke on the villagers.
One morning he ran into the village screaming “Wolf! There is a wolf preying on my sheep!” The terrified villagers ran up the hills to offer assistance but saw nothing threatening.
The boy giggled at the puzzle on their faces. This prank continued for a few more days. However, one morning, a real wolf actually charge at the herd. The shepherd boy raced for aid shouting “Wolf, Wolf!” But this time, no one responded.
Frustrated and alone, the boy struggled against the wolf but could rescue only few of his sheep. Heartbroken, he went back to the village only to be met with a scolding on honesty and the repercussions of false alarms.
The tale of this shepherd boy has been transmitted generations as a mediaeval parable for teaching the value of honesty, the consequences of lying and the risks of crying wolf. Moreover, it highlights how trust once violated, is tough to regain. It's a story as appropriate today as it read more was anciently.